An estimated 27,000 Kenyan teachers will die from HIV/AIDS related illness in the next five years, The Standard newspaper reported on Monday.

Over the same period, the scourge will also leave 2.2 million orphaned children, most of whom will not attend school, top Kenyan researchers were quoted as saying.

Even with the free primary education policy in place in Kenya, many HIV/AIDS orphans are still out of school and continue to dropout, said the researchers, adding the epidemic may disrupt Kenya's free primary education program if urgent interventions are not developed.

The researchers say education can play a crucial role in creating and maintaining awareness on the scourge, calling on teachers and education policymakers to enhance HIV/AIDS content in the school curriculum, the report said.

Kenya has spent an estimated 4.7 billion shillings (59.5 million US dollars) this year in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and more money is now going toward the HIV/AIDS related programs in Kenya than toward the agricultural sector, said a Kenyan research body in its latest report.

Source: Xinhua